-- C-Cube Delivers New Standard for German Satellite and Cable Multimedia Set-Top --
Boxes
Business/Technology Editors
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1999--
Philips, BetaResearch and C-Cube Collaborate to Bring
Interactive Applications to German Consumers
Reinforcing its position as the digital video pioneer, C-Cube
Microsystems (Nasdaq: CUBE) today announced that its AViA@tv
technology is enabling Germany's leading cable and satellite service
providers to offer Web-over-TV applications to consumers.
The next generation digital set-top boxes, deployed in Germany,
the d-box(TM), which deliver digital video to standard television
sets, are being built by Philips (NYSE: PHG) for cable and satellite
installation according to the specification of BetaResearch, a
subsidiary of the KirchGroup and a major European digital television
technology provider.
Other subsidiaries of the KirchGroup will also deploy the
dbox(TM), including the German pay TV channel Premiere which has
approximately 1.7 million subscribers. DF1, a company founded in 1996
by the KirchGroup, will also rely on the d-box(TM) to promote digital
television on the German-language market by broadcasting and marketing
thematic pay TV channels featuring movies, series, children's
programs, sports, documentaries and music.
Philips selected C-Cube's AViA@tv digital video system-on-silicon
due to its powerful feature set and superior graphics capability that
enables the display of web content on TV. With the AViA@tv technology,
consumers can access advanced interactive services, entertainment and
information on the d-box(TM) network with a simple click of the
remote. Philips will use AViA@tv to build the next generation
BetaResearch set-top, the dbox.
About AViA@tv Set-Top Solutions
C-Cube's AViA@tv is quickly becoming an important silicon
platform in the digital set-top market. It has the complete set of
graphics capabilities required by today's demanding television
applications, enabling it to deliver interactive features such as
Web-browsing over television. Powered by its high performance
integrated CPU, AViA@tv multi-planar graphics enable the development
of the industry's richest graphical user interfaces.
It also contains an integrated Flicker Filter(TM) feature to
dramatically improve picture quality of HTML web content over the
television. Additionally, it features support for two-way in-band and
out-of-band cable networking that allows subscribers to access
high-speed data services such as Web browsing and e-Commerce via the
set-top box. Interactive set-top applications such as these have been
proven to offer strong revenue gains for service providers.
"Two-way cable networking is critical for the successful
deployment of today's interactive video services," said Jos Swillens,
General Manager of Philips Digital Receivers. "With C-Cube's
technology in the box, we are able to deploy Internet-on-TV
applications at a price consumers can afford. Thus Philips, a leading
consumer electronics company, is able to grow its leading position in
the set-top market further."
"Subscribers' expectations for television entertainment have
shifted the set-top market into supplying a more feature-rich
interactive, multimedia solution," said David Baillie, Vice President
and General Manager of C-Cube's Consumer Network Products Business
Unit. "We are pleased to be collaborating with Philips to bring a new
level of entertainment value to consumers. With the AViA@tv platform
as the enabling technology, these next generation multimedia set tops
will provide the most innovative, interactive services available."
About Philips
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the
world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales
of US$33.9 billion in 1998. It is a global leader in color television
sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions
and monitors and one-chip TV products. Its 233,700 employees in more
than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer
electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, medical
systems, business electronics and IT services (Origin). Philips is
quoted on the NYSE, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock
exchanges.
About BetaResearch
BetaResearch, the technology company of the KirchGroup, develops
and markets new technologies for digital communications. The
BetaResearch product portfolio includes the "betacrypt" Conditional
Access and data security systems, smart card technology, the
"betanova" system software and open application programming interface
(API), interactive applications including internet access, subscriber
management and playout scheduling systems for digital broadcasting
centers.
BetaResearch licenses its technology to Premiere, DF1, Deutsche
Telekom AG, other service providers and decoder manufacturers. With
plans to expand business to other countries, BetaResearch is quickly
becoming a leading provider of digital video broadcasting (DVB)
technologies. BetaResearch is based in Unterfoehring near Munich /
Germany and can be reached on the internet at
betaresearch.de
BetaResearch is a subsidiary of the KirchGroup, the German media
group, which is active internationally in film and television
production, distribution and broadcasting. The KirchGroup is a major
European supplier of films, series, classical music and children's
programming for television.
The KirchGroup's pay-TV endeavors include the first digital
platform in the German-speaking markets, DF1, Premiere (also Germany)
and Teleclub (Switzerland). It also has interests in Telecinco,
Spain's commercial broadcaster, and in Mediaset, Italy's television
company.
About C-Cube Microsystems
C-Cube Microsystems Inc. is the industry leader in the
development and delivery of highly integrated digital video silicon
and systems solutions. The C-Cube Semiconductor Division delivers
highly integrated digital video silicon and systems solutions for the
communications and consumer electronics markets, including digital
set-top boxes, VCD, and DVD.
DiviCom, a wholly owned subsidiary of C-Cube, is a leading
provider of open solutions for digital television. DiviCom products
include audio/video encoding, data broadcast solutions, network
management systems, consulting and integration services. C-Cube is
headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices in North America,
Europe, and Asia. Its stock is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol
CUBE.
C-Cube can be reached at +1.408.490.8000 or on the World Wide Web
at c-cube.com. DiviCom is based in Milpitas, California and
can be reached at +1.408.944.6700 or on the World Wide Web at
divi.com.
C-Cube and the C-Cube logo are registered trademarks of C-Cube
Microsystems Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are
property of their respective companies.
--30--ap/sf*
CONTACT: C-Cube
Melissa Malley
Public Relations
408.490.8510
mmalley@c-cube.com
or
Steven Horwitz
Investor Relations
408.490.8561
shorwitz@c-cube.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET PRODUCT
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